Cryptids and Myths Wiki:Project CryptoResources/Patagonian sloth/"The Patagonian Ground-Sloth, Neomylodon," Natural Science (April 1899)
The Patagonian Ground-Sloth, Neomylodon ZOOLOGISTS are still much exercised concerning the supposed existing ground-sloth of Patagonia, and the Zoological Society of London on February 21 devoted the greater part of an evening to a discussion of its skin. We were the first, last October and November (vol. xiii. pp. 288, 324-326), to recognise the importance of Dr. Ameghino's announcement of the discovery of this remarkable skin fragment, which he had briefly described under the name of Neomylodon listai. We also made his privately-printed pamphlet generally accessible by inserting an English translation of it in our November number. Two months ago we announced (vol. xiv. p. 171) that Dr. F. P. Moreno, Director of the La Plata Museum, had brought a piece of this identical skin to England and exhibited it to the Zoological Society of London. We now have pleasure in briefly reporting Dr. Moreno's account of the discovery of the specimen, and Mr. Smith Woodward's detailed description of its characters, which formed the basis of the Zoological Society's discussion on February 21, to which we have referred. It appears that Dr. Moreno found the piece of skin hanging in a tree at a farm near Consuelo Cave, Last Hope Inlet, in Southern Patagonia. On his expressing interest in the specimen, the owner took him to a cavern where it was said to have been found, buried in earth, two years previously. Dr. Moreno at once began to make excavations, but did not succeed in recovering anything more except some unimportant bones of rodents. He had therefore to remain contented with the skin which he first noticed, and transported this direct to the La Plata Museum. He learned that Dr. Otoo Nordenskjöld had already taken a piece of the specimen to Sweden, and that some Chilian officers had carried away other pieces ; he also had a reason to believe subsequently that Dr. Ameghino had obtained a portion. Dr. Moreno's impression was, that the skin belonged to the extinct ground-sloth, Mylodon. Although the specimen had an extremely fresh aspect, and had evidently been removed from the carcase by man, he perceived no difficulty in this supposition ; for the Mylodonts were known to have been contemporaneous with man in other parts of Argentina farther north, while in another cave in the same district he had already found a well-preserved mummified human body of an extinct race, which was entirely unknown even to the existing Tehuelche Indians of that region. At the Zoological Society's meeting, Mr. Smith Woodward began his observations by emphasising the remarkably fresh aspect of the skin. A coating of dried serum was even still preserved on the old cut edges. He would, indeed, have unhesitatingly pronounced the skin to belong to a recent animal killed quite lately, had not Dr. Moreno been able to give to circumstantial an account of the discovery. The specimen was doubtless referable to an Edentate, but it was unique even for a member of that order in having the armour of ossicles confined to the lower half of the dermis, while the covering of hair was implanted in every part of the upper half. The ossicles were very similar in structure to the bony plates of the armadillos ; in fact, intermediate between the latter and the known ossicles of Mylodon. The hair was also like that of the armadillos, and there was no under-fur. Mr. Woodward thought he could recognise part of the left ear and left cheek at one corner of the specimen, which would imply that the skin belonged to the neck-region ; and in this case it was quite large enough for Mylodon. The bony armour of this part of Mylodon, however, was still unknown ; the ossicles of the skin of this great beast had only been definitely described from the lumbar region. Hence the impossibility of deciding between the two rival hypotheses of Drs. Moreno and Ameghino. Mr. Woodward said he could only confirm the opinion that the skin truly belonged to a Mylodont ground-sloth ; he could not determine the genus without more evidence. In the interesting discussion which followed these obersvations, Professor Ray Lankester expressed his hesitation in accepting the problematical skin as that of an armoured ground-sloth. From the structure of the hair and of the ossicles he suspected it might possibly represent an unknown group of armadillos ; but he anxiously awaited more evidence. Professor Seeley and Mr. E. T. Newton favoured the theory of Drs. Moreno and Ameghino and Mr. Woodward. Several speakers alluded to the difficulty of believing that the specimen had been naturally preserved in a cavern since prehistoric times ; but Dr. Garson thought the discovery of the ancient human mummy in the same neighbourhood was conclusive proof of the favourable nature of the climate. Category:Project CryptoResources Category:Project CryptoResources/Patagonian ground sloth